Bag



Patented Dec. l5, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE BAG Edward D. Zweigbaum, New York, N. Y. Application April 20, 1949, Serial No. 88,677

6 Claims. l

This invention relates to bags. It is particularly directed t briefcases and luggage of the club type which is provided with a pair of swivel or hinged handles at opposite sides of the open end of the bag.

An object of this invention is to provide in a bag of the character described, improved means to reinforce the side walls of the bag against collapse whereby to aid in retaining the shape of the bag.

Yet another object of this invention is to provide in a bag of the character described, a bag provided with a jaw frame at the bag opening and improved means for urging the jaws to open.

Yet another object of this invention is to provide a bag of the character described, having upwardly and inwardly curved side walls, and a jaw frame at the top opening of the bag, and spring metal reinforcing strips secured to the inner sides of the side walls of the bag, said strips extending from the lower corners of the bag upwardly and inwardly, buttons secured to the lower ends of the strips and disposed at the underside of the bag on which the bag may rest, and looped members on said strips extending through openings in the side walls of the bag for supporting rings to which the bag handles are attached, said strips serving to reinforce the side walls of the bag against collapse or distortion, and also serving to tend to open the bag.

Yet another object oi' this invention is to provide a strong, rugged, and durable bag of the character described, which shall be relatively inexpensive to manufacture, attractive in appearance, and yet practical and eicient to a high degree in use.

Other objects of this invention will in part be obvious and in part hereinafter pointed out.

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, combinations of elements, and arrangement of parts, which will be exemplied in the construction hereinafter described, and of which the scope of invention will be indicated in the following claims.

In the accompanying drawings in which are shown various illustrative embodiments of this invention,

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the bag embodying the invention with parts broken away and in cross-section;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view through one of the reinforcing strips of the ba 'ig. 3 is a partial front perspective view illustrating the attachment of one end of the handle to one of the reinforcing strips;

Fig. 4 is a front elevational view of the reinforcing strip and bottom button attachment thereto;

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 4 and illustrating a modied construction, and

Fig. 6 is a side elevational view of the structure shown in Fig. 5.

Referring now in detail to the drawing, It designates a bag embodying the invention here shown for the purpose of illustration in the form of a club bag, it being understood that the invention may be applied to other types of bags, briefcases and various types of luggage.

The bag Il comprises a bottom wall Il which may be made of leather or like material. Attached to the upper side of the bottom wall Il is a reinforcing board I2 which may be made of cardboard, fiberboard or any other suitable material.

Attached to the sides of the superimposed walls I I, I2 are side walls I3 which may be of leather or any other suitable material, of which the outer sides of the bag are made. The walls i3 are curved upwardly and inwardly as shown in Fig. 1 of the drawing. Also attached to the ends of the superimposed Walls Il, I2 are end Walls I4 which may be seamed to the side walls I3 by seams I5. The side walls I3, end walls I4 and the bottom walls I I, I2 may be of usual construction.

The side walls may be attached to the bottom walls by stitching I3a. At the seams I5, furthermore, there may be beading or piping in the usual manner.

The bag is opened at the top. At the top of the bag is a pivoted jaw frame I8 of usual construction attached to the walls I3 and I4 and comprising a pair of jaws interpivoted as at I9, likewise in accordance with the usual construction.

In accordance with the present invention, each of the side walls I3 is formed with a pair of spaced aligned horizontal narrow slots 22, for the purpose hereinafter appearing. At the inside of each side wall I3 is a pair of symmetrical spring metal strips 23'. Each spring strip 23 has an upwardly and inwardly inclined portion 2d contacting the inner surface of the side wall. At the lower end of each portion 24 is an outwardly inclined oiset foot 25 disposed in a horizontal plane and contacting the top surface of wall I2. Foot 25 is inclined toward the end wall I4, and overlies the corner of the superimposed Walls Il, I2. It is formed with a through opening 26, for the purpose hereinafter appearing. The strip portion 24 is formed with an open- 3 ing 21 aligned with one of the slots 22, for the purpose hereinafter appearing.

At the underside of wall II is a hollow metal dome-shaped button 36 of substantially hemispherical shape, the upper edges of which touch the underside of the wall II. The center of the button is formed with an apertured recess 31 through which extends the shank 38 of the split rivet 39. H'Ihe head. 40 of the rivet is.received within the recessY 31.v The shank 38 'passesf through staple registering openings 4I in the walls II, I2 and through the opening 26 in the foot 25.

Extending from the shank 38 are a pair of split bendable fingers 43 which arebent outwardly against the upper surface of thef'oot`25 there# by firmly anchoring the buttorif3liitofthesbag.1 The bag is thus provided with four corner buttons on which the bag may rest.

Attached to each strip 23 is a fastener or staple 45. `A` -Eachst`aple`f45 has a' pair'of contacting lpor- .tomeet the conditions of practical use.

As various possible embodiments might be 'made of the above invention, and as various changes might bemade in the embodiment above 'set"forth,' it is' to be understood that all matter hereinsetiforthfor` shown in the accompanying drawings is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in alimiting sense.

strip 23 and through slot 22 in the side-'wall- I3 registering: therewith. The contacting? portions 46 diverge and form a loop41which projectsforw'ardly o'r outwardly of the wall I 3; Ex-

tending from the inner ends of saidl contacting tact 'thfinnerside of thefstrip portioni24;

Algaslietor covering- 5l! forfthe fastener'o staple-may beprovided. Said gasket' or 'lining mayfbe m'a'del'of leather"or any other suitabley soft or flexible r'na't'erialfy Themember 5U coin-1 prises aloop v portion' 5 I covering? the -loop`4-1.

Extending from the portion "5I are'portions"52f whichV 'contact the outer' sides "of 'sai'd portionsV 46.2 'Said' portions-"52f'pass tl'irough'thev slot-22.l

Extending from said portions-52 areportions' 53 which contact the inner side of wall I3 andare internosed'between said wall'and the striplportiori`24.

vSwiveled to each loop: 41 is 'a split rin'gf55The ringsf55fonleach'` side of thelbagare interconnected by 'ausual-luggagehandle S'Bformedwith usual openingsithrough which the V:ring passes.

Stitched to the inside of each sidewall I 34 is a'palr of stripsiil` oi' leather or anyfother suitable material to cover the'stripsY 23; Each covering strip Bil-may be stitched to the side-wall I3 by means of parallel inclined lines of stitching* It will now" beun'derstood thatfthe stripsF 23 serve to anchor the staples or fasteners to which the handles are attached therebyfproviding a strong andyet relatively` inexpensive means of anchoring the handles-to thebag. Furthermore, they siippor't'the'supporting buttons 36.

It'will be further understood that'the 'strips 23 serve to support the bag against collapse either by vcrushing downwardly olf-when force is exerted inwardly at the ends of the bag. The strip portions 24"are normally straight and when the bag'isclosed thestrips aref' under tension. AThe' bagf may' be provided with any suitable latchingv4 means to' retain thebag in' closed' position?V Thus, for'example, the tab' 1 8 may beattached to one side'-` ofthe bag overlapping the opening of' the bag''emdprovided with a usual hasp tobe-secure'dto a'loc'kin'g means 1I- attached to the' side of th'e'bag.l Whenl the'bag is unlatched or'unlocllred,A the springs 23' tend to open"the bag and to retain it open so as to facilitate inserting articles into the ba'g' or taking them out.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as"riewan'd desire to secure'by Letters Patent of the UnitedStates:

1"; VA bag havingabottomfwall'; side wallsand end walls andbeing'provided vwith a` jawV frame at the top open end of the bag, a-lpair: of similar symmetrical strips` of springy material'y contacting theinner surfaces offthe sidewalls of the-bag, each sidewalll being formed withk a` pair ofspaced'horizontal aligned slots,zsaid' strips being formed with openings registering with said slots; .fasteners passingzthrough the openings in the stripsV4 andl throughsaidslots in the'side wall, each fastener having ai loop at the outside'of th'ebag, rings engaging said loopsandfhandles interconnectingltherings atieaclitsidesof the bag.

2"; Av baghaving a bottom wall, side walls and end walls and `being provided with a. jaw frame at the top open end oflthel bag', apair ofisimilar symmetrical strips of ri'springy' material' contacting'theinner surfacesi'ofthe side wallsof the bag,` each side 'wall'beingfformed with a pair of spaced 'horizontall valigned slots, vsaid `strips being formedwith openings registering .withsaid slots, fasteners passing-through the openingsr inthe strips andi through visaidf slots in the side.' wall, each fastener having a `loopat the outside of the bag', rings engaging' saidloops andlhandles interconnecting-the rings at each side of the bag, said strips each havingan'offse't foot at its lower .end overlying the upperfsideof thel bottom wall at a-corner ofthe bag, a button at' theY underside of the Ybottom Wall' of the bag,if and astudA interconnecting'the buttons'withvsaidfeet, and a covering for each fastener "having a vportieri surrounding the loop; andportions-passing through the slot in the side Wall of the bag; and portions interposed'between thef stripf andthe side Wall of the-bag, and'means'stitched to the inside ofthe side w'alls'of1 the'fbag and covering said strips;

3. A bag 'having a' bottom v'vvalL side walls and end wallsfan'd being provided'with a jaw' frame atthe topf open end of the bag, a pair of similar symmetrical strips'of'spri'ngy material contacting the inner surfacesof'theside walls of the bag; each sidewall being' formed with a pairv of spaced horizontal aligned slots, said strips being formed with' openings registering with said slots, fastenerspassingA through the" openings in the strips and through said slotsv in' the side wall, each fastenerv having a loop at the outside of the bag, rings-engagingv said loops, and handles interconnecting the rings at each side of the' bag', said strips eachhaving an offset foot at its 'lower end overlying' the uppersideofv the 5 bottom wall at a corner of the bag, buttons at the underside of the bottom wall of the bag, and studs interconnecting the buttons with said feet.

4. The combination of claim 3 and a covering for each fastener having a portion surrounding the loop, and portions passing through the slot in the side wall of the bag, and portions interposed between the strip and the side wall of the bag.

5. A bag having a bottom Wall, side Walls and end walls, strips of springy material, having bent feet with through openings therein, at their bottoms, and being formed with through openings near their upper ends, the side walls of said bag and said bottom wall of the bag having through openings therethrough registering with said through openings in the said strips, means passing through said registering through openings in said bag bottom and in the feet of said strip for securing the bottom wall of said bag to the said strips, a pair of handles, and means passing through the registering openings in said strips and side walls for attachment of said handles to the outer sides of said side Walls of the bag and to anchor the top ends of the strips to the side walls of the bag and to said handles.

6. The combination of claim 5, said bag having a pivoted jaw frame with conventional locking means attached thereto, said strips of springy material spreading said jaws and maintaining them in opened position when said locking means is in unsecured position.

EDWARD D. ZWEIGBAUM.

References Cited in the file 0f this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,403,476 AXelman Jan. 17, 1922 1,437,565 Stein et al Dec. 5, 1922 1,443,112 Axelman et al Jan. 23, 1923 1,622,017 Winkler et a1 Mar. 22, 1927 1,697,916 Kaufmann Jan. 8, 1929 1,979,978 Martin Nov. 6, 1934 2,010,267 Klotz Aug. 6, 1935 2,437,405 Robinson Mar. 9, 1948 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 473,640 France Oct. 3, 1914 

